11.22.2013 - Worldwide launch of Xbox One sparks global celebration for a new generation in games and entertainment

November 21, 2013Leicester Square officially became Xbox One Square for the launch of Xbox One. The biggest week in video game history kicked off with live outdoor performances from chart toppers Plan B and Katy B, and the midnight opening of a pop-up GAME store in a 10,000 square foot Xbox One gaming zone in London’s Trocadero.

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 21, 2013 —Xbox One hits store shelves and becomes available online Friday, delighting millions of fans participating in global launch celebrations, watching a live broadcast on Spike TV and lining up at retail stores to be among the first to grab an Xbox One. The hotly anticipated, new-generation games and entertainment system from Microsoft Corp. brings the best games, live TV, Skype, sports, fitness, music and more to one single device at the center of the living room, all available at the command of your voice, powered by Kinect and Bing.* Xbox One is available now in 13 markets worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Austria.

An epicnight around the world

From New Zealand to Los Angeles, fan excitement reached a fever pitch around the world. In New Zealand, fans partied at Shed 10 in Auckland as the iconic Sky Tower pulsed green, and one fan made the world’s first official Xbox One purchase. Across the world in London, Xbox One turned entertainment epicenter Leicester Square into Xbox One Square with a glowing, green nexus and fan festivities throughout the day. In New York, zombies, Roman soldiers and jaw-dropping supercars converged on Times Square. As billboards glowed green, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis helped 1,000 fans count down to midnight with an electrifying performance at Best Buy Theater, while thousands more celebrated in Times Square. Across the country in Los Angeles, Hollywood's biggest gamers walked the green carpet and mingled with fans who came out to try Xbox One games and enjoy beats courtesy of deadmau5. Similar spectacular celebrations also occurred in the other Xbox One launch markets.

November 21, 2013Fans celebrate the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox One outside of the Best Buy Theater in Times Square on Thursday, November 21, 2013.

“We have the best community of gamers around the world, and this was on full display last night,” said Marc Whitten, chief product officer, Xbox. “The launch of Xbox One is truly Day One. Today is the beginning of the future of entertainment, and we could not be more proud to deliver Xbox One to fans around the world.”

Xbox One LaunchNovember 21, 2013The first U.S. fans get their hands on Xbox One at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square on Friday, November 22, 2013.

Xbox One brings together the best games, the best multiplayer experiences through Xbox Live and the hottest entertainment offerings in a system built to deliver best-in-class experiences for the future, today and every day after. The new-generation Kinect offers improved voice and motion control, seamlessly responding to your commands and gestures and making new gaming experiences possible.

Xbox One also brings you the best, exclusive games lineup that won 111 awards at E3, the top industry trade show, including “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Dead Rising 3,” “Ryse: Son of Rome,” “Killer Instinct” and “Zoo Tycoon.” In addition, popular third-party blockbusters will be available on Xbox One with early exclusivity for downloadable content in “Call of Duty®: Ghosts,” “FIFA 14,” “Battlefield 4” and more. Expect more huge launches as well, with the release of next-generation experiences, such as “Titanfall,” “Project Spark” and “Sunset Overdrive” in 2014. For more on Xbox One launch titles, visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2013/nov13/11-21XboxOneLaunchGamesPR.aspx.

Thanks to the power of the cloud in more than 300,000 servers, Xbox Live on Xbox One makes gamers better. The multiplayer experience has evolved to include features such as Smart Match, which finds the perfect match for you and is supported by a new community-powered reputation system. Starting with “Xbox Record That,” you can also record, edit and share your favorite gaming moments like never before through Game DVR and Upload Studio.* All these new features mean you get more value for your Xbox Live Gold Membership, which seamlessly transfers over from Xbox 360. Xbox Live remains the place where all your friends play, with more than a decade of high-quality service and 48 million members on Xbox 360 — and they’re all invited to jump into new experiences on Xbox One.

“We believe a truly next-generation system must deliver not only incredible games but also all of the entertainment you love in one device,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Marketing, Strategy and Business, Xbox. “From your favorite games, to the hottest TV shows, movies and music, to surfing the Web, to Skype conversations with your family and friends, only on Xbox One can you instantly switch between all of your entertainment and snap them together — all with the sound of your voice.”

Xbox One’s innovative architecture means you no longer have to choose between your games and entertainment. Get multiplayer alerts while you watch TV, and keep watching TV while you play. Snap your NFL fantasy football stats next to the game. Jump instantly from a game to TV, movies, fitness, music, sports, the Internet and Skype video chat with the sound of your voice. With Xbox One, you never have to stop playing to talk to a friend, surf the Web or watch live TV. You also have access to a new generation of TV experiences, and starting in the U.S. and coming to many markets soon, OneGuide will allow you to access your favorite shows, channels, apps or games with the Bing natural language voice search.

Xbox One sells for $499.99 (ERP) in the U.S., and quantities are limited. For the latest on Xbox One availability in your market, visit Xbox.com. For more details about Xbox One, including the full games lineup, visit http://news.xbox.com. For press releases and media assets, visit http://news.xbox.com/media.

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

The information contained in this press release relates to a pre-release product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the product when first commercially released. The press release is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the press release or the information contained in it.

* Advanced TV hardware required. Initial setup and some games and features require broadband Internet; ISP fees apply. Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately) and/or additional requirements apply for some features, including online multiplayer, Xbox Music, Xbox Fitness, Skype, Game DVR, The NFL on Xbox One and Upload Studio. Game DVR and Upload Studio available in supported games. Multiplayer between Xbox 360 and Xbox One not supported. Kinect voice support only available in supported locales and languages. See http://www.xbox.com/xboxone/kinect-speech-recognition.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.